Acsa weighs in on Note7 ban

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has thrown its weight behind global calls for the Samsung Galaxy Note7 to be banned from flights.

Jason Tshabalala, group manager for security at Acsa, urged passengers to heed the communication issued by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to the effect that the device should not be carried on board aircraft at all.

“This notice by the SACAA goes beyond the initial stance adopted by global regulators and airlines when the problems with the Samsung Galaxy Note7 first came to light,” he said.

“Following the new rules is essential for passenger safety. We also wish to avoid unnecessary delays at security check points and boarding gates which would also inconvenience other passengers,” Tshabalala added.

The rule does not apply to other Samsung devices.

Samsung South Africa is currently installing exchange kiosks at airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban after the “exploding” Note7 phone was banned from several airlines.

The kiosks are planned to be installed at international airports in the country’s three major cities as a ”precautionary measure” amid exploding battery reports globally. If found in possession of a Note7, passengers could face a fine of up to R2,5m at some of the world’s airports.

The National Consumer Commission is set to meet with Samsung again at the end of October to assess the company’s progress with recalling of the problematic Note7 smartphone from the South African market.